I tried to prop up what was left of me so I wouldn't collapse into the broken place inside. Good grades. Achievements and accolades. Fun friends and good times. Boys who made me feel special. I tried to steady myself with anything that helped me feel better.

C. S. Lewis said it best: "We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."1

But this journey is so much more than just that. It really is about learning to tell myself no and learning to make wiser choices

Experiencing life change is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice, choosing God's ways instead of your own.

A heaviness settled in that I couldn't explain or pinpoint exactly. I'm not sure how to properly describe it, except to say on different days it crept up with varying personas that seemed to hold me together and rip me apart simultaneously. Cynicism dressed like a security guard, making me believe that if I hoped for less, it would protect me and prevent more pain. In reality, though, it was a thief in disguise, out to steal every bit of closeness between me and those I love.

By how much He wants us to pay attention to His instruction so He can reveal His direction. Don't miss this. Unbroken companionship helps us hear His instruction so then we can see His direction.

I let my soul be cradled by God's divine assurance. His Son. Who completely understands. And who will walk me through every step of this if I keep my focus on Him. That's how I survive the 86,400 seconds called today.

I'm completely sane except when I'm the opposite of that.

We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.

But not making a decision is actually a decision. It's the decision to stay the same. And staying the same when I know I need to change is a choice that carries consequences with it.

He's into the slower rhythms of life, like abiding, delighting, and dwelling—all words that require us to trust Him with our place and our pace.

a pattern of wise choices in the ordinary paves the road to a demonstration of wisdom in the extraordinary.